Church Politics? No! Truth? Yes!
God’s peace be yours as we find ourselves in the midst of the heat of the summer.
It's a fitting image, being in the midst of the heat, as we turn our attention to what Paul says to us today. It is the sad truth that the church attracts many people for many different reasons. We would hope that people would come into the church because they have a sincere love for God through faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, this is not always the case. One of the top reasons young families reveal for choosing a church is the youth program. Seniors tend to go where they've always gone, or where their friends go. It is far down on the list of reasons that someone chooses a church based on the truth of the Gospel proclaimed, and faithfulness to the Word of God.
It is this reason, the many different voices in a church, which are at the root of church politics. And as we know, church politics are the worst politics of all. This is what we have Paul addressing today. Listen to the words he says.
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God. 1 Corinthians 11:11-16
The issue which has been addressed has focused on whether a head covering is to be used by a woman who is praying or prophesying in worship. Paul has laid out the argument of the order of creation and what God intended the relationship of man and woman to be like as He designed it. There are however many people who are not content to accept what God has revealed.
I remember my years in junior high and high school when seeing a boy with long hair was out of place. We grew up in an age where boys had short hair and girls had long hair. There were things that men did, and there were things that women did, and they were decidedly different. As you know this resulted in women being taken advantage of, and the other result was that of many political battles to accomplish equal rights for women. This is a good thing!
That having been said, equality is not same-ness. We find ourselves in the society today that has taken huge steps beyond equality and is now fighting for the eradication of the uniqueness of male and female. It was Dr. Nettie Stevens, one of the brightest female scientists in American history, who in 1905 unlocked the secret of the sexes. She was the first to discover the XX & XY chromosomes which distinguish males and females. Females are born with a pair of XX chromosomes, inheriting an X from both the mother and father. Males are born with XY chromosomes; the X is from the mother, the Y from the father.
A female can have her breasts removed and take hormone therapy resulting in a deeper voice and facial hair, but she will still have the XX chromosomes. A male can put on a dress and lipstick, mutilate his body and receive breast implants but he will still be XY at the core of his being. The point is that human beings cannot change what God created.
With regards to behavior within the church, Paul has laid out what is good and proper both for our worship and our witness to the unbelieving world around us. We should not stand as those who by our actions raise eyebrows and cause confusion, and neither should we compromise the truth. This requires a delicate balance for our lives as we proclaim the gospel without giving an offense whenever possible.
Paul’s final statement in this text is an admonition to be done with this issue. He says If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God. What is his point? If someone wants to argue about this (the word means to be contentious and cause division), then understand this is not who we are as the Church of God. There is a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things, and if someone does not like this, they are free to leave but the church will not bow to people's personal desires when they stand in conflict with the truth that God has revealed. I can say this with regard to Spirit and Truth Church Odessa. Sadly, we have seen that the church in America is far too willing to compromise the truth in order to appease the whims of unbelieving and ungodly people.
I would encourage all who are reading my words today to think seriously about their worship life and their relationship with God. Is God there simply to be the genie in the bottle that provides for our every wish and want? Or is God so far above and beyond us that we stand in awe and amazement that He sent his son into the world to accomplish our salvation? And if this is true, do we humble ourselves before him and take His Word to heart, living our lives to his glory?
I pray we will be found faithful in all things for His glory.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
It's a fitting image, being in the midst of the heat, as we turn our attention to what Paul says to us today. It is the sad truth that the church attracts many people for many different reasons. We would hope that people would come into the church because they have a sincere love for God through faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, this is not always the case. One of the top reasons young families reveal for choosing a church is the youth program. Seniors tend to go where they've always gone, or where their friends go. It is far down on the list of reasons that someone chooses a church based on the truth of the Gospel proclaimed, and faithfulness to the Word of God.
It is this reason, the many different voices in a church, which are at the root of church politics. And as we know, church politics are the worst politics of all. This is what we have Paul addressing today. Listen to the words he says.
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God. 1 Corinthians 11:11-16
The issue which has been addressed has focused on whether a head covering is to be used by a woman who is praying or prophesying in worship. Paul has laid out the argument of the order of creation and what God intended the relationship of man and woman to be like as He designed it. There are however many people who are not content to accept what God has revealed.
I remember my years in junior high and high school when seeing a boy with long hair was out of place. We grew up in an age where boys had short hair and girls had long hair. There were things that men did, and there were things that women did, and they were decidedly different. As you know this resulted in women being taken advantage of, and the other result was that of many political battles to accomplish equal rights for women. This is a good thing!
That having been said, equality is not same-ness. We find ourselves in the society today that has taken huge steps beyond equality and is now fighting for the eradication of the uniqueness of male and female. It was Dr. Nettie Stevens, one of the brightest female scientists in American history, who in 1905 unlocked the secret of the sexes. She was the first to discover the XX & XY chromosomes which distinguish males and females. Females are born with a pair of XX chromosomes, inheriting an X from both the mother and father. Males are born with XY chromosomes; the X is from the mother, the Y from the father.
A female can have her breasts removed and take hormone therapy resulting in a deeper voice and facial hair, but she will still have the XX chromosomes. A male can put on a dress and lipstick, mutilate his body and receive breast implants but he will still be XY at the core of his being. The point is that human beings cannot change what God created.
With regards to behavior within the church, Paul has laid out what is good and proper both for our worship and our witness to the unbelieving world around us. We should not stand as those who by our actions raise eyebrows and cause confusion, and neither should we compromise the truth. This requires a delicate balance for our lives as we proclaim the gospel without giving an offense whenever possible.
Paul’s final statement in this text is an admonition to be done with this issue. He says If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God. What is his point? If someone wants to argue about this (the word means to be contentious and cause division), then understand this is not who we are as the Church of God. There is a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things, and if someone does not like this, they are free to leave but the church will not bow to people's personal desires when they stand in conflict with the truth that God has revealed. I can say this with regard to Spirit and Truth Church Odessa. Sadly, we have seen that the church in America is far too willing to compromise the truth in order to appease the whims of unbelieving and ungodly people.
I would encourage all who are reading my words today to think seriously about their worship life and their relationship with God. Is God there simply to be the genie in the bottle that provides for our every wish and want? Or is God so far above and beyond us that we stand in awe and amazement that He sent his son into the world to accomplish our salvation? And if this is true, do we humble ourselves before him and take His Word to heart, living our lives to his glory?
I pray we will be found faithful in all things for His glory.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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